Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

This section deals with definitions, particularly the definition around dwelling event. I just want to point out the sort of preposterousness of this and the misguided focus that it implies. This lies at the centre of how misguided this entire legislation is, namely, trying to suggest that the primary responsibility for rising infection rates and the necessity to resort to another lockdown lies with events in people's homes. It is a narrative I have heard repeated endlessly with, for example, the commentary that it is in households that we are seeing the majority of cases and so on.

This is done while failing to point out the very obvious, namely, that we had pretty much or close to eliminated community transmission as a result of the actions of millions of households. This was overwhelmingly done voluntarily the last time around because people understood the need to act quickly to deal with the virus. Despite the fact that the people had done their part and largely eliminated community transmission, it came back. Where did it came back from? It was not from people's houses at that point but the places that the Government refused to act against. These are the places, which the Bill does not focus on in any serious way, such as the meat processing plans, the direct provision centres and so on.

Most crucially of all, however, it came back due to the policy decision of the Government essentially to say there is an acceptable level of community transmission which we can manage. It is now absolutely clear the Government cannot manage it meaning the virus has now run out of control and, not surprisingly, it is back in people's homes. The implication that it started in people's homes is simply not true and not evidence-based. It is worth pointing out the simple fact that everybody lives in a home. That tells us absolutely nothing about the virus. How did it get into the home? Did it come through the walls? No, it did not come through the walls. It came from a policy decision made by the Government that it is possible to live beside the virus.

It is now clearly apparent we cannot live beside this virus. This virus does not respect level 2, level 3 or level 4. It has its own logic and dynamic. Either we chase it down or it chases us. That is precisely what has happened. To blame the people or events in people's homes is an attempt to deflect from the Government's own political responsibility. The Government should be big enough to own up to that responsibility rather than trying to redirect that against the family home and then give enforcement powers to the police as a way of scapegoating. There is no other way to put it. It is scapegoating individuals and families for doing normal, human, family things rather than blaming the Government for having a failed strategy, for failing to resource our public health services, as well as the public health response to the degree necessary to control outbreaks.

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